What exactly is a Pixel Perfect Web Design?

If you have been involved in design for a while, you will hear this phrase a lot – “Pixel Perfect Web Design.”

From web agencies to smart web clients, they strive to achieve the phrase that has eluded every designer.

So what exactly is a pixel perfect design?

Simply take: Pixel perfect is the process where you take every element in consideration, down to individual pixels. It’s completely opposite to designing stuff with compression artefacts. It also primarily depends on the context. For example: if a Photoshop is given to you, you need to use your HTML/CSS skills to make sure that every inch is equal to what it’s in the PSD.

In a pixel perfect design, each pixel is given a careful attention so that design get the sharper look than a muddy one. Everything in such design form looks clean, sharp, and intentional.

How do clients take pixel perfect?

In the mind of clients, Pixel Perfect is simply a method to have the same form in every browser. For most, it’s about maintaining the level of perfection.

Is pixel perfect design possible?

If you ask a designer or developer, he will tell you that the best way to create this sort of design is directly posted an image from Photoshop and forget about HTML and CSS. This concept would be better for education purposes than working through practical scenarios.

The pixel perfect looks an absolute gem while you are in and out of Photoshop. But as soon as you switch to coding, problems kick in. Problems with different browsers interpreting the same code differently and viewport sizes inconsistency also don’t do justice with pixel perfect concept. Similarly, you can’t predict the size of the desktop people is using. Some may still be using traditional desktops while most are on laptops.

You can’t predict the viewport of your readers which also cause problems. Well, these problems can be rectified with responsive design but pixel-perfect may seem out of the window.The point is it’s not about getting 100% pixel-perfect, it’s more about getting it as close as 100% to pixel perfect.

So how do you achieve that feat?

Here are 5 tutorials that should help you work your way through the pixel-perfect journey.

Pixel Hunting

When I stumbled upon this technique from the team of Go Tree House, I was absolutely stunned. It simply telecasts the process of getting rid of unwanted anti-aliasing and creating a perfect pixel alignment. This is probably one of the best parts that you should learn and adapt to your skill set.

Pixel Perfect Techniques

If you are hunting down maximum accuracy through Photoshop and illustrator, consider checking these two tutorials from Medialoot guys. It offers an in-depth guide to 6 crucial pixel perfect techniques using Photoshop in the first tutorial. And an article that describes options and methods to the design using illustrator.

Pixel Fitting

This is another useful guide by Dustin Curtis that talks about the technique used to optimise vectors into Photoshop called as “Pixel Fitting.”

This method takes the microscopic control of Photoshop and effective use of vector graphics to avoid imperfection caused by anti-aliasing. It’s done by porting optimised vector graphics from illustrator to Photoshop.

Pixel Depth

Just like its name sounds, Pixel Depth is the tutorial offering training to add depth to your designs. From techniques to using contrast effectively to mixing dark and light pixel thing lights, it has everything you need to learn about depth of design.

Pixel Art

Pixel Art has to be the oldest and traditional form of achieving pixel perfect design. How old you ask? It’s even older than the web and was originated from video games. It’s also the hardest forms of perfect-pixel design as it’s absolutely hand crafted from scratch without using any sort of shortcuts or vectors.

So, you get the point, right? Pixel perfect design is an illusion that disrupts the sleep of every designer and developer. However, you can get the desired design by going through the above tutorials and executing perfectly.

Wrapping Up

So, you get it, right? It’s not about getting a 100% perfect design. It’s more about getting it closer and meeting the exact requirements. If your clients ask you to create one, well you should be able to answer it. It’s your responsibility, not his.